Another Side of My Life
Chapter 2
by Julie D Cole

I suddenly realized I was helpless. I couldn’t run after him even if I wanted to in heels since I was only new to walking in them. In any case he’d probably be dangerous and I am no fighter.
I seemed to fre
eze for a while and people were moving in slow motions around me whilst I tried to bring my thoughts together. What should I do? At least I still had my suitcase. But what use was that since my new purse, wallet and my mobile phone were in the shoulder and even my make-up and my return ticket home.

I was still clutching the underground ticket so at least I could escape from this dungeon. I thought I’d be safer outside and at least I might be able to figure out what to do. I hoped London was full of nicer people than this and even full of streets of gold.

I took care to see who was around me as I went up the escalators and through the barriers. Why didn’t I take a taxi? If it hadn’t have been for me trying to save money I’d be OK.

As I arrived outside to the street it was busy with lots of tourists and local workers.

Everybody seemed to ignore me yet here I was helpless. What to do? Fortunately it was Thursday afternoon and the rush hour hadn’t started so I needed to find somewhere quiet. I needed the toilet so I found the Ladies since I had become Julie. My first real challenge.

It wasn’t a pleasant experience and I was bursting yet I had to wait in a line. How degrading for women. Why can’t they build them twice as big. I didn’t look at anybody but at least when I looked in the mirror I still had enough make up to look decent and I clearly had no problem to pass a girl.

I headed for the public telephones and called the operator to ask if I could make a reverse charge call home. It was an Indian call centre so she couldn’t understand my English very well and for sure hers wasn’t very clear. I found myself shouting a bit and as my voice got louder the pitch got higher.

I could laugh at myself later as it attracted attention but at least nobody pointed fingers at me and said ‘Ughh look at him!’ She said nobody was answering and she wouldn’t put me through to leave a message so I decided to try again later and hopefully I’d be able to communicate.

I had thought about calling work but this operator had a job on to understand that I was stranded in London so I didn’t think it would matter who I tried to call. That had to be a back stop plan and just hope that Jane on reception would accept a reverse charge call.

I was supposed to be here for a week so it was better anyway if mum could arrange something. I thought she might have gone to see Gran and hoped she wasn’t staying over. I never asked I just left the house that morning with as little interchange as possible. 'Oh what a tangled web we weave if first we practice to deceive.'

I thought about it. Wait I’m not deceiving anybody. I am free to be who I like when I like. I’m me and I decided to stand up and face this stupid challenge. Nobody knows me anyway so here I had no pressure except to decide what to do.

I decided I should find the local police station to report the robbery.

Well that was an experience since I daren’t say much as I’d have to file a report and give my name and address. I chickened out as I started to pass over my details and just said my bag had been stolen but it wasn’t expensive and nothing much in it. I got the feeling I was wasting the officers time and after a few minutes I left.

I got the feeling they weren’t interested in the robbery but if they’d realized I was a man then the whole police station would have surrounded me and there would be flashing blue lights everywhere.

In any case most residents in UK feel the police are under too much pressure to fund themselves and petty crime gets in the way. It s not high on the priority list of the British Police Force since probably most of the officers were assigned to look for motorists who had exceeded the speed limit or not stopped at a traffic light that brings in cash from fines. No reward for them if they recover my bag.

Whilst I was talking I remembered that I had fifty pounds inside my suitcase but the keys to the case were in my shoulder bag. How stupid that I put everything in one bag. How to open the case. I should have asked the policeman but I was frightened of causing too much fuss and being trapped in the police station whist they interrogated me.

I couldn’t even remember the hotel name that I’d booked since the details were on my phone. That was another thing to take care of or the phone bills would be massive with someone calling their relatives overseas. I couldn’t afford to call my Ant Ally in Oz or Aunt Dee in the States but this culprit might be ringing his cousin in Jamaica right now and racking up a big bill for me. How to stop him? Vodafone will be licking their lips.

I wondered up and down the High Street with my case that was beginning to annoy me. Walking 50 metres is OK in heels but being lost in London and dragging a case up and down these streets is no fun. Right at that moment all the gloss of being outside as Julie had disappeared.

I decided to ask for help at a hotel to open my bag and there was a really nice looking one that was a big Victorian style white building. Not too grand for a Northern girl but nice enough to be friendly I thought. I was nervous as I approached the desk. No Londoners working here all from Overseas and a Lady assistant Manager attended to me thinking I was checking in. When she realized I just needed help she wasn’t so pleasant.

So that idea was a waste of time since she probably thought I’d stolen the case and wouldn’t help. I decided to try elsewhere and I picked up the case down the steps at the front of the hotel the barman from the bar off the side of the lobby who’d been watching me waved me over to him.

The bar was separate to the hotel but had access from the main foyer so he picked up the case and took it through whilst I followed him. He produced a small key and fiddled with the lock and within seconds the case was open.

I was most grateful and I thanked him as he introduced himself. His name was Jack and the bar was his sole responsibility and he took a share of the profits. It had several tables outside on the raised pavement area as well as about 10 or 12 inside.

So it was a big bar area with a lot of potential. The food came from the hotel and he asked if I was hungry. I said no thanks because I shouldn’t accept charity but he just laughed and said ‘OK you can earn your supper if you like since the regular waitress wasn’t reliable and may not turn up.

He invited me to have a drink whilst we chatted and since he’d just opened up it was quiet. Since he was paying I accepted a white wine and soda so it was at least a long drink.

He seemed nice and he was sympathetic to hear more details about my story of the robbery and asked if I needed somewhere to stay but as tempted as I was I decided to decline. I thought I’d better use the fifty pounds in my suitcase to buy a ticket home and decided if I caught the 8pm train I might get a cheap ticket. I found the envelope with the fifty pounds but he wouldn’t let me pay for the drink.

He seemed to accept me as Julie and he looked at the engagement ring on my finger and asked if I was promised to someone or available for a good looking guy from south London. He made me smile with his cheeky style and I liked to be treated like this that hadn’t exactly been my idea of what I’d be doing in London.

The bar started to fill up since it was Happy Hour and Jack was soon showing his charm and skills to serve quickly and efficiently. I asked why he had no assistance and he said he’d have to use one of the girls from the hotel and pay through the nose. Then he asked if I was interested to help him for 20 pounds plus whatever tips I got. I declined but then he said that one good turn deserved another so I changed my mind. He took my suitcase to a room behind the bar and he found me a notepad and a white apron like his.

I said OK as long as he gave me five minutes to go over to the Boots chemist shop at the underground station. He kept my bag and I went to buy some replacement cosmetics out of my fifty pounds. I bought the minimum that I could but it still cost me ten pounds. At least I could tidy up and reduce the risk of being detected.

Jack laughed when he saw what I’d done and said I must have money to burn and I didn’t need make up. What did he mean by that? Did he know I was really a boy? He just shrugged his shoulders and said to hurry up so I tidied up in the hotel ladies room. Little Miss Snotty at reception gave be a dirty look but I just walked past her and focused on freshening up that gave me back all my confidence.

Fresh make-up is just like a new face. Mmm a slightly deeper shade of lipstick and not so expensive as the one I lost. What will the robber do with mine. Wrong shade for him I thought.

The bar quickly filled up and soon I was rushing around. It seemed like a popular spot for an after work drink and maybe Jack was the reason that a few ladies also called in. He was quite a charmer and knew most clients by name. He had a nice selection of music and asked me to distribute a few potato crisps and salted peanuts so that it made people more thirsty.

I hadn’t had fun like this for a long time and Jack seemed to accept me. I wasn’t sure if he knew or not or if he knew and didn’t care. Whatever he winked at me a few times saying I was attracting extra trade and most punters were staying for second and third drinks.

I took this as a bit of his sales charm and stuck out my tongue. Whatever Jack thought as far as the customers were concerned I wasn’t challenged and there was no sign of whispers behind hands. So I focused on trying my best to be feminine and to act like I thought a woman should act whilst helping Jack. I was really enjoying myself. To think I’d arrived in London expecting to hide in a hotel room and just spend the days shopping.

Before I realized the time had reached 8pm so no chance to take the train home tonight and I realized hadn’t rung mum either. Now I had cash at least to call her but Jack told me to use the bar phone. Mum still wasn’t in so I left a message to say I’d call her the following day.

At 9pm there was a lull in trade as the early drinkers headed home. Jack gave me fifty pounds and said we’d earned 30 pounds of tips each because of one big investment bank group who had money to burn and had been admiring me all night.I admitted to myself that I had tried to flirt a bit that must have workd.

At least now I could afford a room for the night in a small hotel. But Jack didn’t want me to leave until he closed the bar and offered to sort out a room at a hotel close to his flat if I trusted him. I just nodded and said OK. Then he arranged something by telephone.

I had to use the bathroom again a couple of times that evening and that meant going through the hotel reception where I had more suspicious looks but if they still weren’t sure about me they chose not to say anything. I think Jack may have vouched for me.

Jack bought me a plate of pasta with prawns that I’d been eyeing as I served some customers and sat me at a table with a glass of wine. ‘On the House Julie. You and me make a great team.’

I just smiled and said thanks to him for helping me.

His retort was ‘OK how about tomorrow evening? Are you available?’

To be continued……